If this isnt in the right place please feel free to either move or delete I just figured this might give me more help then posting in the pregnancy board as everyone here has already gone through labour.

I have my induction scheduled friday and have no clue what to expect during or after.

Does an induction make ANY difference then a normal labor afterwards?

I know sunday I was at least 1cm dialated and 70% effaced. Do you think I will still need any gel or tablets or anything? I know that more is going on down there as I have had my bloody show and getting contractions but nothing regular or increasing in strength or intensity or anything.

I just really would like to hear some stories and I am not finding a whole lot on the announcements and birth story pages from people who had inductions... and the only things I have heard seemed fairly scary...


I am from the US but dont mind UK perspective also I just know it may be a little different in how they do things.

Congrats to all you mommies and hope everything is going well!

Well i was induced to pre-eclampsia at 40 weeks. I was admitted to start induction to find i was already 3cms dilated, i didn't need any gel or a drip as i just had my waters broken. My experiance was very positive and my labour was only just over 6 hours from when they broke my waters to when she was born. The only thing i found having my waters broken was that my contractions started immediately and were fairly intense from the start. However this could have happened if i'd have gone into labour naturally. Good luck but i'm sure you will be fine xxxxxxxxxxx

im in the uk and was induced zane was 2 weeks overdue as i was dilated my waters were broke i didnt need a drip as contractions started straight away. being induced makes labour more painful i have been told by others including my mw before she broke my water lol but i found it wasnt as bad as i thought it was going to be

I was induced. I had my induction date booked and remember being really upset and angry that I hadn't gone into labour on my own, and was nervous about the induction and also didn't know what to expect. I was induced at 40+9

I went in at 8am and was put on a monitor - they put straps around your bump - one to monitor your contractions and one to monitor baby's heart beat. You are on this monitor during the whole induction process and during the labour, but you can still move around the bed during labour and aren't restricted too much. To be honest, once in labour, I didn't want to move around too much anyway!

Anyway - went in, went on monitor, then an hour later the doctor came along and had a look at my readings. She did an internal examination to find I was 2cm dialated (which i'd been for a week anyway!). She then inserted some gel which was put right against my cervix. This was uncomfortable, but didn't take long at all. I was then left for 6 hours!

During the 6 hours I had some slight pains - like period type pains, but nothing much. Hubby and I sat around watching the tv and doing cross words!

After the 6 hours the doctor came back and did an internal examination. I'd gone to 3cm dialated and for that reason they took me down to the labour room and broke my waters. I had to lie on the bed with my legs in stirups and a long hook-like intrument was inserted and my waters were broken. That sounds awful doesn't it? But I actually didn't feel anything! After my waters were broken I was told that I was officially in labour and was told to wander around the bed to get things going.

Within half an hour I went from having slight pains to full blown contractions - it really did come on THAT quickly. I think that's one of the main differences being induced to going into labour naturally is that the strong contractions come on much quicker. I've also heard that the pain is worse with induction because your body hasn't had the time to build up a resistence to the pain - but to be honest, if I had to choose between a quick and painful labour, or a very long drawn out only slightly less painful labour, i'd choose the quick option!

About 3 and a half hours later, Harry was born! My waters were broken at around 6.30pm and at 9pm I was told I was only 5cm dialated which made me think I was going to be in labour forever! But at 9.58pm Harry was born!

The whole process wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be and my husband was allowed to stay with me the whole time (which was my main concern). I can't say if being induced is any more or less painful to going into labour naturally as Harry is my only baby, but i'd definitely say that the whole process is really nothing to worry or be concerned about at all and i'd happily be induced again.

I was induced because of preeclampsia, I was already 4cm dilated and 100% effaced, they broke my waters and although I was having regular and quite strong contractions they put me on a hormone drip - which I think made the experience more painful (but it's my first baby so I have nothing to compare that to!) I had an epidural and that made things alot better.

Good luck honey, I'm sure you'll be fine

I was induced at 39+4 they gave me a pictocin drip and inserted somethin called a foley bulb which dilates you to 4 cm. After they remove the foley bulb they want you to dilate the rest of the way by yourself and at 6cm they broke my water. The only difference is if they put you on a pictocin drip that will make the contractions come quicker and stronger than they would otherwise. But for me they were only stronger for the first half of the bag then after that half was gone and the second half of the bag had started they got closer together and ALOT stronger especially after they broke my water. Good luck hun no matter what happens your LO will be here soon and it'll all be worth it!

I was induced at 41+1 because my cervix was closed and thick and the baby never engaged. I was given a dose of gel on a monday evening and booked to be induced the following morning. Monday night I felt some cramping but nothing much. Then around midnight, I felt what I know now to have been contractions. Not super strong but enough that I couldn't sleep. At 8 am I went to the hospital, got hooked up to monitors and my OB came in to see if the gel worked. I was 2 cm dialated so he broke my water, which didn't hurt (him poking around to see if I was dialated hurt a lot more that breaking the water) Contractions started right away and I was also hooked up to oxytocin. Contractions got so intense that at noon (3cm) I took the epidural. At 2pm I was 9.5 cm dialated and started pushing. However, the baby wouldn't come down so after over an hour of pushing and breathing problems since my chest muscles locked, OB had to use forceps to get the baby out (5.17pm)

Although the end of the labour was quite intense I would do it again in a heartbeat. I have no comparison whether inducing is more painful as this is my first baby, but at the end of the day once you see your baby, pain is no longer an issue and you forget all about it. After an hour of giving birth, I said I will do it again next year.....hahaha..... well in 2 years

I was induced at 38+6 since I had gestational diabetes. It's hard to guage what your labour will be like, as everyone responds to induction differently.

Someone told me that since it was my first baby, I didn't really have anything to compare it to, so even if induced labour is harder than natural labour it's not like I'd be able to know the difference. My induction went very well. I responded to the gel and was 3cm dialated (from 1cm when I went in). They broke my water at noon and by 4pm I felt the urge to push. Claire was born at 5pm. Not very bad, personally.

Hope you feel better, try not to let the horror stories scare you!

When i was induced I was asked to come in on the sunday evening. I was given a pessery(sp) inserted up there to try and soften the cervix etc... That didnt help much and I was checked the nxt day. (Monday) I was due to get taken down at some point Monday to haave my waters broken. There were no spaces for me as alot of emergencies came in. So i stayed overnight again in hopes that tueesday would be my day. With another pessery inserted up there. That seemed to soften things a bit for me and I started ddilating etc.

I was woken up on tues morning at 8am and advised they were ready for me in the labour suite.

I went down and OH came to the hosp and we began. I had my waters broken for me. Which truely did NOT hurt even thought people go on about how sore and uncomfortable it is.

They were going to put me on a drip once my waters had broken to start the contractions off stronger etc... but it ended up I did not need them. They were comin on strong annd fast on their own

By half past 3 that afternoon Elinor was born. I never got to go home as I had complications afer the birth (NOTHING to do with the induction etc its just the way my body unfortunately copes with after birth) and had to go into theatre etc I was in the hospital for a week.

So as far as if you can get out after it etc is concerned I am not too sure sorry

But the induction etc itself is absolutly fine




hope any of that helped you at all xxx

I was told being induced puts you at slightly higher risk of needing a c-section. I was induced at 38+4 (or 5, not sure )